This invention relates to holders for writing instruments, such as a pen or pencil, and more particularly to such a holder adapted to be continuously worn on the finger of an operator.
One of the most common problems facing everyone is that of the missing pen or pencil when working at a task that requires occasional, rather than continuous, use of the writing instrument. While one solution is to put the pen or pencil in a container or a pocket, it takes time to fish it out and prepare it for use.
It would be very desirable and useful to have a holder for the writing instrument immediately available for use. However, the holder must not impede the work which is going on or hamper the hand action of the operator who requires occasional use of the pen or pencil.
The prior art has suggested writing instrument holders to be carried on one or more fingers of the hand. Some of these devices are for the purpose of holding a writing instrument or other tool in a more secure manner in the normal writing position adjacent or beneath the tip or distal phalanx of the index finger. U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,498 issued Jan. 28, 1963 to S. Udcoff employs a split finger ring carried on the proximal phalanx, supporting a tubular pencil carrying member pivoted on the end thereof, with coil springs to return it from an operative position aside the index finger to a retracted position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,345 issued May 10, 1994 to J. Gershon discloses a writing aid having two pocket shaped sleeves, one for the tip of the index finger and one for the tip of the thumb, and a central section adapted to frictionally hold a writing instrument in a conventional writing position. U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,984, issued Sep. 24, 1968 to J. Zazzara discloses a tubular tapered sleeve adapted to be slid over the distal and middle phalanges, including the joint therebetween. The sleeve carries a swivel clamp for receiving a pen or pencil, which may be pivoted on the side of the sleeve. A pen holder advertised in a contemporary catalog as Griffi comprises a longitudinally slidable sleeve for holding a conventional ball point pen by means of a ring attached to the sleeve by a swivel joint and intended to be worn on the proximal phalanx or upper joint of the index finger.
The prior art also discloses finger holders for writing instruments of a less conventional nature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,556 issued Apr. 19, 1988 to J. Brown discloses a finger mounted ball point pen with a padded tray passing along the ventral side of the distal phalanx and secured to the finger tip with a Velcro strip passing around the dorsal side of the distal phalanx. The pen projects beyond the tip of the finger to form an extension of the index finger. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,260 issued May 24, 1994 to J. Andersson discloses a finger pen with a writing tip projecting from a contoured ventral pad with an integral ring adapted to fit over the distal phalanx and write with the palm in a prone position.
The foregoing prior art devices suffer from mechanical complexity or impede the free action of the fingers to do other tasks. It would be desirable to have a holder for a writing instrument which always deploys the writing instrument in a writing position without impeding action of the fingers or substantially interfering with other tasks.